Does Formula One Need New Racetracks?

I love Formula One. I love the fact that they go to almost every region of the world. For me, the cars and the locations make me go nuts about the sport!

That is why I am a fan of new racetracks on the calendar. I don't mean to badmouth the likes of Silverstone, Hockenheim, or even Spa, but I think that re-using the older tracks just makes the season a rather boring one.

Now, that is not to say that we should use them once and then "that's all folks" either.

The Formula one calendar is a very tightly-scheduled calendar. Many countries are vying for the distinction of holding a race because having a race means the country has enough money and reputation for hosting an amazing event like this.

However, with the growth of Asia in recent years, and a downturn in the Western economy in general, the East is getting more races, with the additions of Shanghai, Singapore, Bahrain, Turkey, and soon to be Abu Dhabi as well.

The American Grand Prix is gone, the Canadian Grand Prix is hanging on, and Silverstone, as well as the UK in general, is set to get the ax soon. In their place are possible rumours of Grand Prix in Korea and Russia, as well as the building of racetrack for an Indian Grand Prix in 2010.

Formula One is moving Eastwards with new tracks, and I welcome that! Why? It's not because of money, which it usually is, but it is about all things new.

Formula One is known the world over as introducing new technologies to road-going vehicles, so why not do the same for road and track engineering? It will help in giving ideas for safer road construction in the developing nations that Grand Prix are being held.

Some of the countries where Grand Prix are either in development, have been proposed and await approval, or are just starting up a plan for, have traffic issues. If anyone has ever been to Moscow, they have probably said that the traffic there was a nightmare!

The same thing can be said about the Middle East and Asia, where having a car is now an indicator of how much money one has and how much they are benefiting from the booming economy.

Of course, biopolitics or biopower will not necessarily cause traffic safety to come to the forefront overnight, but it is a start.

My second reason for having new tracks is because they are literally a clean slate. Spa has the distinction of Kimi Raikkonen winning three times in a row, Monaco has the McLaren designation, Silverstone is steeped in Grand Prix Racing history, and Monza is the spiritual home of the Tifosi.

What problem do they have? They have precedents attached to them. Precedents, in sports, are a terrible thing to have. When you watch the Belgian Grand Prix, you put your wager down that Kimi will win it because he has won there three times in a row.

It's also not just an historical thing, either, it is also the fact that when you watch the next race, the fact that driver x won the race last year means he has a better chance of winning, while the others don't stand a chance.

With a new track, you, as the armchair racer, don't know what to expect, and neither does the real racer! It makes it exciting; it makes the race a fascinating thing to watch, and in the event that the race gets boring, you can always see what's around them as well because it is in a new locale.

I like it that new tracks are being added to the calendar, but I'm also upset that old tracks are being replaced for the new ones. Unfortunately, that is life, and if there were a compromise of some type, I would love it.

Over to your replies and thoughts.